From Patriotic Dream to Cultural Beacon

Founded in 1818 as the Patriotic Museum of Bohemia, the institution's mission was clear: safeguard the language, history, and scientific achievements of the Czech nation. The ambitions outgrew its first quarters on Na Příkopě, and by 1885 architect Josef Schulz began raising the Neo-Renaissance palace that would crown Wenceslas Square. Completed in 1891, the structure drew on the vocabulary of Milan's La Scala and Vienna's Ringstrasse architecture—grand staircases, a frescoed Pantheon, and a soaring dome illuminated by glass and iron.

The museum weathered the 20th century with scars that became part of its story. Artillery damage from the Prague Uprising in 1945 and machine-gun fire during the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion pocked the sandstone facade, reminders now preserved rather than polished away. Between 2011 and 2019, the building closed for a meticulous restoration: foundations were stabilized, the roof was replaced, frescoes were cleaned, and modern technologies—from climate control to interactive media tables—were discreetly integrated behind the heritage fabric.

Collections That Span Eras and Continents

The National Museum operates as a constellation of institutions, but its flagship building unites the greatest hits. The Historical Museum traces Czech statehood with artifacts from Přemyslid royal regalia to Velvet Revolution ephemera. Nearby, the Natural History Museum stages “Windows into Prehistory,” where life-size models of mammoths loom over trilobites from Moravia's Paleozoic seabeds. Above, the Czech Museum of Music contributes rare instruments and manuscripts, while temporary exhibitions rotate through the restored halls to showcase international partnerships.

Recent programming underscores how dynamic the museum has become. Fossil celebrities Lucy and Selam drew more than 210,000 visitors in just 60 days during their 2025 residency in the “People and Their Ancestors” exhibition, while the forthcoming “100 Treasures, 100 Stories” collaboration with Taipei's National Palace Museum will introduce imperial Chinese artistry—including the jadeite Cabbage with Grasshopper and Locust—to European audiences for the first time.

Architecture With a Modern Pulse

A visit today reveals a seamless dialogue between 19th-century grandeur and contemporary technology. The Pantheon gleams with revived murals by František Ženíšek and statues of national luminaries, while the glass-and-steel dome gallery offers 360-degree views across the Old Town and Vinohrady. Beneath the square, a subterranean corridor connects the historic building to the 1970s-era New Building—formerly Prague's Federal Assembly—creating a single museum campus with shared ticketing, cafés, and research facilities.

Accessibility has been prioritized in the renovation: new elevators, tactile guides, and a mobile app help visitors navigate the labyrinthine halls. Yet the designers preserved the patina of time—bullet marks remain visible, the marble balustrades retain their softened edges, and interpretive panels acknowledge the building's turbulent past alongside the objects it protects.

“Standing beneath the Pantheon's coffered dome, you feel the building's heartbeat—history, science, and national identity reverberating together.”

What's New: Exhibitions and Events

The museum's calendar is intentionally layered. Long-term anchors such as “History of the 20th Century” and “The Miracles of Evolution” provide depth for first-time visitors. Seasonal exhibitions add urgency: in autumn 2025, “Lights in the Darkness” will explore Czech musical symbolism alongside works by Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, while family-friendly programming like “Children's Museum” transforms the New Building into an interactive playground. Evening lectures, curator-led tours, and after-hours concerts make the complex feel less like a monument and more like a living cultural forum.

How to Experience the National Museum

Start in the Historical Building, letting the ceremonial staircase guide you upward to the Pantheon. From there, descend through the national history galleries before crossing the underground passage into the New Building, where multimedia displays reframe Czech identity in a global context. Pause in the Museum Café for Moravian wine, then return to the dome for sunset, watching tram lights trace Wenceslas Square far below.

Itinerary Inspiration

Experience This Attraction With Our Tours

Elevate your visit with the Private Visit to the National Museum, an after-hours journey curated exclusively for One Journey guests. Glide to the museum by chauffeured limousine, enter through a private door once the lights dim, and let your expert guide tailor the path—from national treasures in the Pantheon to scientific rarities deep in the collections. The evening culminates beneath the illuminated dome with champagne and canapés, offering a rare, quiet vantage over Prague's skyline.

This intimate format ensures space to linger, time to ask in-depth questions, and flexibility to focus on themes that speak to you—be it Czech independence, art restoration, or the latest archaeological discoveries. It's the museum at its most personal, experienced in the company of specialists who know its countless stories.

Is It Worth Visiting?

Absolutely. The National Museum is more than a cabinet of curiosities; it is a living ledger of Czech identity that balances reverence with reinvention. Whether you are drawn to paleontology, political history, or architectural splendour, the building's layered narrative rewards curiosity and invites repeated visits as new exhibitions rotate in.

Traveler Questions